5 privacy settings that you should change in Windows 10

Microsoft has attempted to be more transparent with its privacy settings and although it may have simplified some of the languages ​​of its policies, much remains to be done. Here are five privacy settings that you can change for a less invasive and secure experience by Windows 10 .

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Disable your location.

When using a mobile device such as a tablet or a laptop, it often makes sense to allow Windows 10 and third-party apps to access your location. This does not mean that you should always keep your location turned on. When your location is turned on, Windows 10 stores your device's location history for up to 24 hours, and allows location-enabled apps to access that information.

If you disable your location, apps that use your location (such as Maps) App can not find you. However, you can manually set a default location that apps can use as a stand-in.

To disable your location, go to Settings> Privacy> Location and Change the key to . Location for this device is and turns it off . Below, you can set permissions to allow individual apps to know or restrict your location.

Screenshot by Matt Elliott / CNET

Stop syncing

On Windows 10, a lot of syncing is in progress. When you sign in with a Microsoft account, your settings, including passwords, may sync to other devices that you sign in to with the same account. If you disable syncing, your settings and passwords will not sync with other devices when you sign in to your Microsoft account. For example, you must enter the passwords manually.

To disable sync settings, go to Settings> Accounts> Sync Your Settings . You can either disable all syncs at once or disable individual sync settings.

Screenshot by Matt Elliott / CNET

Use a local account

If you have disabled syncing between your devices, there's no reason to use your Microsoft account to log in to your PC. Instead, you can use a local account that does not require an email. This prevents Microsoft from gathering information about you. With a local account, you create a username and password for your PC. (You still need a Microsoft account to purchase apps in the Windows Store.) If you want to sync files with Microsoft services such as OneDrive, OneNote, and Office 365.)

To create a local account, go to . Settings> Accounts> Your Data Click Instead, log in with a local account and follow the instructions to create a username, password, and password.

Screenshot by Matt Elliott / CNET

Lock Lock Screen

The lock screen is the first thing anyone sees when it opens your device, and this screen can contain a lot of information that you might not want to be able to access.

Here are three things you need to do to lock the lock and login screens:

Make sure your notifications are not displayed on the lock screen. Go to Settings> System> Notifications and Actions and Disable (19459062) View Notifications on the Lock Screen . The disadvantage of disabling this feature, of course, is that you can not receive notifications until you unlock your device. /cnet2.cbsistatic.com/img/Qu8t5JaWD159Yja5cB0XD1vFNd8=/724×0/2018/11/07/bd0300ec-a6ed-4245-a05d-b86f023f623f6a70/windows-10-lock-screen-settings.jpg Screen Settings “/>
Screenshot by Matt Elliott / CNET

Turn off Cortana on the lock screen by opening Cortana and going to . Settings> Cortana> Talk to Cortana and disable . Use Cortana even if my device is locked. Disabling this feature has the disadvantage that you can not use Cortana while your device is locked. You can also restrict your scope to the lock screen (rather than turning it off completely) by deselecting the check box. Let Cortana access my calendar, emails, messages, and Power BI when my device is locked. In this way, you can still ask Cortana to answer questions that do not contain personal information while your device is locked.

Hide your email address on the login screen by going to Settings> Accounts> Logging In Options and making sure View Account Details (eg. Mail address) is disabled on the login screen . There is no harm in turning this feature off, unless you really want to see your email address.

Disable Your Promotional ID

Each Microsoft account has a unique advertising ID that allows the company to collect information about you and place a personalized ad experience across multiple platforms. When you sign in to Windows 10 with a Microsoft account, these personalized ads will follow on your computer. They appear in apps and possibly in the operating system itself (for example, in the Start menu).

To disable these ads in Windows 10, go to Settings> Privacy> General and deselect . Let apps use the Ad ID to make ads more interesting to you on your app usage. You still see ads that are not tailored to your tastes and preferences.

Screenshot by Matt Elliott / CNET

If you disable this feature, personalized ads will not appear in Windows 10. However, you may not necessarily see personalized ads when using your Microsoft account on other platforms. To view ads on other platforms, eg. For example, in browsers, visit the Microsoft Advertising Denial page.

Finally, you can visit Microsoft's Privacy Dashboard for your account to learn what information about you is stored in the cloud, including your browsing and search history in Microsoft Edge and your location data.

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Editor's note : The first article was published on October 13, 2016 released. The article was updated on November 8, 2018. Windows Update October 10, 2018